Cell-free protein expression systems have found widespread use in protein purification, basic research, drug production, and screening. However, many potential applications are limited by the need for cold chain storage. In particular, reagents for cell-free protein expression are typically stored at freezing temperatures. Accordingly, current approaches are not available for the preservation of cell-free protein expression systems at elevated temperatures or even at ambient temperatures without oxygen and/or humidity control. Additionally, current approaches for preservation of cell-free protein expression systems do not demonstrate long term stability (particularly under heat stress), scalability, or production of proteins capable of performing both transcription and translation.
Therefore there remains a need in the art for a method of preserving a cell-free protein expression system in a manner that it can be stored, even under heat stress and without oxygen or humidity control, can be later reconstituted on demand, and results in long term stability, scalability, and production of proteins capable of performing both transcription and translation.